Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts Part I of Friday's podcast with the Vikings. With less than a week to go before the draft, where are they at in their preparation? GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talked to reporters Thursday. Plus Aaron Rodgers also talked Thursday, shedding some light on his contact with the Vikings.

9:00: Chris Hine joins Rand to break down Wolves vs. Lakers.

28:00: A top prospect joins the Twins.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand looks at the latest Twins win and his own history of watching bad baseball. From the Atlanta Braves of the 1980s to the Twins of the late 1990s, some of his biggest investments have been with teams that had little to no chance of winning.

11:00: Claire de Lune, a musician and write who covers the Lakers for The Guardian, joins Rand to help set up the playoff series between the Wolves and Lakers. It's a matchup of star power vs. depth, with the Lakers carrying the designation of being the favorites.

36:00: Anthony Edwards is locked in.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Wild, who can't seem to do anything the easy way. But a goal with 22 seconds left in their final regular-season game clinched a playoff spot. Can they compete with Vegas, a team against which they went 0-3 during the regular season, in the playoffs? Plus a look at schedules reveals it is going to be bonkers around here next week between the Wild, Wolves and NFL Draft.

11:00: La Velle E. Neal III joins Rand for their weekly debate segment. In focus: Wolves vs. Lakers, Twins vs. themselves and Niko Medved vs. the transfer portal.

33:00: Byron Buxton looks like himself again.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Twins, who lost again and now sit at 5-12. Three things stand out: Their pitchers have committed six errors this season, twice as many as any other staff in the majors; the smallest announced crowd in non-Covid Target Field history watched Monday's game; and the Twins are tied for their worst start in franchise history.

Plus the Lynx made significant moves during Monday's WNBA Draft and Paige Bueckers went No. 1 overall to Dallas, as expected.

10:00: Marcus Fuller joins Rand to break down Niko Medved's work in the transfer portal so far this season. With six new transfer additions and more to come, where do the Gophers stand?

35:00: A big night with clear stakes for the Wild.

Chip Scoggins pinch hits for Patrick Reusse on Monday's episode with host Michael Rand. They start with the Wolves' win over Utah on Sunday, which set up a playoff matchup against the Lakers. Game 1 of the series is Saturday, with the Wolves needing to find a way to stop Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Can they stay composed enough to use their depth to their advantage?

Plus the Wild had a huge win in Vancouver on Saturday, leaving them on the verge of clinching a playoff berth. The Twins are staggering at the plate, even after a good win Sunday. And Rory McIlroy had a Sunday to remember at Augusta.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Timberwolves' big 141-125 win over Memphis on Thursday, which included a huge third quarter and a better finish than Tuesday's meltdown against Milwaukee. Mike Conley was the steadying force as the Wolves assured themselves of no worse than the No. 6 seed (and likely better) if they win their last two games. The Twins, on the other hand, dropped to 4-9. That's the same pace as their 12-27 collapse at the end of last year.

10:00: Ben Goessling joins Rand to share Vikings insights gleaned from last week's Florida meetings. The two biggest questions at this point: What will they do in the draft? And where will they land with a second quarterback?

35:00: One possible backup QB for the Vikings is off the board.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Wild, who really couldn't have asked for much more on Wednesday. Injured stars Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek returned and combined for six goals. The Wild needed everyone one of them, including Kaprizov's overtime winner, in a bonkers 8-7 victory. They gained ground in the playoffs and are close to securing a berth. Meanwhile the Twins had a night of similarly good news in a 4-0 win.

9:00: La Velle E. Neal III on the Twins, Wolves and Wild.

30:00: The Wolves have put themselves in close to a must-win situation tonight.

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the epic meltdown by the Timberwolves, who lost a 24-point fourth quarter lead in a loss to Milwaukee. The Bucks threw a zone defense at the Wolves, who proceeded to look like a middle school squad. The most embarrassing part was that the Wolves, who desperately needed a win, didn't seem all that embarrassed. Plus the Twins lost a game with shoddy defense right around the time the Wolves were falling apart. They are 3-8 on the season.

9:00: Sarah McLellan joins Rand for a look at the Wild, who have four games left to try to hang onto their playoff spot. Will injured stars Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek return?

30:00: The Nuggets did what?

Introduction: Host Michael Rand starts with the Twins, who fell to 3-7 with another sad loss to the Royals. Rocco Baldelli was ejected, bringing to mind another angry manager: the leader of the Durham Bulls in the fictional movie Bull Durham, who lamented that baseball is a simple game. "You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball." The Twins aren't good at any of those things right now.

9:00: Chris Hine joins Rand to break down the final four games of the Wolves season and the very crowded playoff race.

32:00: Florida wins the title and the Gophers land a recruit.

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse and host Michael Rand look at the weekend in sports, starting with the Twins. They were three outs away from mostly erasing the bad vibes from their 0-4 start, but a late Astros rally thwarted those vibes and put the Twins at 3-6. The pitching hasn't been nearly as good as advertised so far, and the defense is worrisome.

On a happier note, the Wild got a huge two points over Dallas, local superstar Paige Bueckers won an NCAA title and the Wolves found some more company in the crowded Western Conference playoff race.